The autumn months offer the perfect excuse to stay home, squeeze every minute out of the shorter evenings, and spend quality time with your loved ones. But as someone with a small home and a lot of stuff, I know first-hand how quickly ‘cosy’ can turn into ‘cluttered.’ That’s why it’s so important to declutter before autumn.
Of course, most people choose to test out the best decluttering methods during the springtime, opting for organisational resets in preparation for the summer months. What they don’t realise, though, is that opting for a post-summer reset is one of the best ways to set you up for the rest of the year. After all, we spend more time in our homes during autumn and winter, so it makes sense to give them some extra TLC.
And just as there are things to clean before autumn, it’s also worth adding some decluttering into the mix too - especially if your kids are heading back to school, you’ve just been on holiday, or you’re just looking to purge what no longer serves you. So, these are the things to declutter before autumn for a clean and cosy home.
1. Your summer wardrobe
Although summer isn’t officially over, there’s been a definite change in the air. The mornings and evenings are cooler, and the leaves are finally starting to fall. And if you’re already starting to switch out your shorts for jeans, it’s worth starting to declutter your summer wardrobe.
Lesley Spellman and Ingrid Jansen, who run The Declutter Hub, advise, ‘Pack away shorts, sandals, and beach bags you won’t wear until next year. Be honest about what you didn’t use this summer. It’s a great season to donate or let go.’
Ingrid Jansen and Lesley Spellman are the UK’s leading authority on decluttering and organising your home as The Declutter Hub, which boasts a top one percent podcast with more than 2.5 million downloads, and a Facebook community of 60,000 members. Their bestselling Bloomsbury Publishing book - Reset Your Home, Unpack Your Emotions And Your Clutter, Step By Step is out now.
The out in the open decluttering rule may help you if you’re struggling to decide which items to keep and which ones to ditch, but I swear by the Project 333 decluttering method to keep my wardrobe streamlined, so you may find that one works for you, too.
However, it’s worth noting that you don’t necessarily have to get rid of your summer wardrobe to tidy up your space. Removing them from your bedroom, storing them in vacuum bags - like these Protect & Store Easi-Vac Family Vacuum Roll Storage Bag 6 Pc (£12 from Argos) - and popping them in the loft can be just as effective when you want to declutter before autumn. Then, you can focus on organising your wardrobe to keep it clutter-free.
2. Bedding
Personally, I tend to adopt the Aussie sleep hack and only sleep under a top sheet during the summer months, but now that the weather is changing, I’ve whipped my duvet back out of my airing cupboard. However, the space is a mess, which is why I’m going to be decluttering my bedding before autumn.
Ingrid and Lesley say now is the perfect time to do it, too. ‘Before the cold snap starts, declutter worn or excess blankets and bedding. Keep only what you love and what will actually keep you warm and cosy.’ But if you want to get rid of an old duvet, just make sure that you’re disposing of it properly.
Of course, you can simply store your summer bedding in a safe space, but Shannon Murphy, professional organiser and founder of Simpl Living Co, says, ‘The goal is to avoid storing items you won’t actually use next spring/summer, so you’re only keeping what truly adds value to your life.’
So, focus on getting rid of bedding you haven’t used at all this year, and then organising the rest of your bedding in a way that makes sense for you and your home. Ideal Home’s Sleep Editor, Amy, swears by these Lifewit 35L Clothes Storage Bags (£13.99 at Amazon), and uses them to organise her own (very large) collection of bedding.
Shannon Murphy is the founder of Simpl Living Co and minimalist-minded professional organiser based in West Sussex. Her mission extends beyond merely assisting individuals in decluttering, although that is an important aspect. Her overarching goal is to empower people to adopt a life free from the societal stereotype that buying more will make you happy.
3. Back-to-school essentials
If you’re a parent and gearing up for a September back-to-school reset, decluttering is one of the best ways to start the new school year off smoothly. And decluttering now instead of later gives you the chance to take stock of what you have, what you don’t have, and what you no longer need.
This is especially true when it comes to school uniforms, shoes, and stationery. In fact, if you haven’t checked your child’s book bag or backpack since July, there’s a high chance that you’ll find broken pens, filled notebooks, and dried glue sticks that need throwing away or replacing.
But there’s probably a lot of back-to-school essentials strewn around your house, too - and even in your kitchen cupboards. After all, who could forget all of the random lunchbox lids that appear out of nowhere, without their respective other half?
Take this as your sign to ditch and buy new Tupperware, and organise your food containers ahead of the new school year. My top pick? This Umbra Peggy Organiser Tray (£16.61 at Amazon) helps you keep everything together. Trust me, this will save you a lot of stress in a few weeks' time.
4. Your shed
While it might not be time to put your garden furniture away for the summer, that doesn’t mean that you can’t organise your shed in the meantime. And experts say your outside storage space is one of the best things to declutter before autumn for a clean and tidy home.
A spokesperson for GardenBuildingsDirect.co.uk explains, ‘Summer is a great time to go through your shed and declutter. You can remove everything to start with a clean slate and only add back in the things you really need and use regularly.’
They add, ‘While it may not be the most exciting garden job, it is definitely rewarding. Make the most of the dry, warm summer weather to de-clutter and identify any issues you may need to fix ahead of the autumn rain. Pests are also more active in the summer, so keeping your shed clean and tidy reduces the risk of infestations.’
Alternatively, you could take a leaf out of our freelance content editor, Lisa’s, book to use a bungee cord to organise the contents of your shed. Especially as this Smith & Locke Assorted Bungee Set will set you back just £8.99 at Screwfix.
5. Kitchen cupboards and fridge
I don’t know about you, but my eating habits change a lot with the weather. In the summer, I favour light meals made with fresher ingredients (and ideally eaten al fresco), while I opt for hearty winter warmers during the colder months of the year. That’s why it’s so important to declutter your kitchen cupboards and fridge before autumn.
Of course, it’s important to throw away expired food, but if you have unopened jars and packets that are still in date - and you know you won’t eat them - donate them to your local food bank so someone else can make use of them.
Then, you can focus on rejigging what you have leftover in your fridge, cupboards, and on your kitchen shelves. And it’s always good to take stock of what people with tidy kitchen cupboards never do, so you can avoid them too.
This will also help you streamline your cooking sessions, so you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time cosying up in front of the fire during the shorter autumn evenings. Plus, it’ll help you save money on your food shop, as you’ll know exactly what you have to prevent buying any duplicates.
Post-summer decluttering essentials
I own these glass storage jars and can vouch for the fact that they're high-quality and very useful. They're perfect if you're looking to declutter and organise your kitchen before autumn.
You don't have to get rid of everything you declutter, but it's good to find them a home that's not in the way. These pretty storage baskets could be that home.
These genius clothes rail can be stuck to any flat surface, and it's particularly handy for hanging up school or work clothes, or for keeping things organised when you're steaming or ironing them.
If you're planning on giving your shed some TLC, an affordable shelving unit system like this one can work wonders. Each of the 4 pieces are also different heights, for different tools and equipment.
This is the bed sheet organiser that both our Editor-in-Chief, Heather, and Deputy Digital Editor, Rebecca, use in their homes. They swear by them for organising bedding - and they're ideal for your post-summer declutter.
Organisers like this can be used for anything from your kids' stationery to the pants and socks in your chest of drawers. The different sizes make them incredibly versatile, too.
What will you be decluttering before autumn?
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